Clip for tobacco harvester



June 4, 1957 J. B. HOLLIDAY 2,794,537

CLIP FOR TOBACCO HARVESTER Filed May '7. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jim B. Hall/day IN V EN TOR.

June 4, 1957 J. a. HOLLIDAY 2,794,537

CLIP FOR TOBACCO HARVESTER United States Patent O CLIP FOR TOBACCO HARVESTER Jim B. Holliday, Jamesville, N. C.

Application May 7, 1954, Serial No. 428,187

4 Claims. (Cl. 198-179) This invention relates to a clip for holding tobacco leaves in a secure manner so that the leaves may be carried by the clips which are attached to conveyor chains operatively mounted on tobacco harvesters.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of means for resiliently engaging and holding tobacco leaves in a secure manner without bruising, crushing, or otherwise adversely affecting the tobacco leaves.

The construction of this invention features resilient endless belts which are so mounted as to mutually embrace tobacco leaves which are positioned therein. The endless belt is entrained about rollers mounted in a base and wheels mounted on arms pivotally attached to the base. The Wheels are outwardly offset from the rollers and are larger than the rollers so that the resilient endless belts will tend to draw the rollers and hence the inner flights of the belts together. It is to be noted that the base is formed of a pair of spaced guide plates and the arms have bifurcated end portions to which the wheels are attached, thereby providing guide means for the endless belts.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of clips for tobacco harvesters that are strong and durable, simple in construction and manufacture, which utilize the spring-like qualities of resilient belts to securely hold tobacco leaves in position, while being comparatively inexpensive to produce and unlikely to be afiected by juices and saps exuded by the tobacco leaves.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by these clips, a preferred embodiment being shown in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, where- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the clip comprising the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the clip showing in dotted lines the position of the clip when tobacco leaves are positioned therein;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view as taken along the plane of line 33 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view illustrating the manner in which the clip is mounted on one form of conveyor chains;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view illustrating the manner in which the tobacco is carried by the clips; and

Figure 6 is another elevational view similar to that of Figure 5, illustrating the device as utilized on a different form of chain.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 generally designates the clip comprising the present invention. The clip 10 includes a base 12 including a pair of spaced guide plates 14 and 16 which are interconnected by end portions 18 and 20; Suitably attached to the ends of the base 12 are the bifurcated ends 22 and 24 of arms 26 and 28 which terminate in bifurcated free portions 30 and 32. It is noted that the central portions of the arms 26 and 28 are of substantial U-shape in crosssection.

Rotatably secured between the guide plates 14 and 16 and inwardly of the arms 26 and 28 are a pair of rollers 34 and 36 provided with peripheral grooves 38 and 40. The rollers 34 and 36 are much smaller in size than the wheels 42 and 44 which are pivotally mounted by any convenient means in the bifurcated free end portions 30 and 32 of the arms 26 and 28. It is to be noted that the wheels 42 and 44, because of their greater size, are outwardly offset from the rollers 34 and 36 and are also outwardly olfset because the arms 26 and 28 extend divergently from the base 12. The wheels 42 and 44 are provided with grooves 46 and 48 in their periphery and endless belts 50 and 52 are each entrained about one of the wheels 42 and 44 and rollers 34 and 36 and arereceived respectively in the grooves 38 and 40 and 46 and 48.

Attached to the base 12 in any convenient manner is a bracket 54 which terminates in a hollow cylindrical member 56. A pin 58 extending through the cylindrical portion 56 of the bracket 54 may be utilized to attach the clip 10 to a conveyor chain 68 which is entrained about sprockets 62 which are driven through the bevel drive gear arrangement 64 as disclosed in the application for patent, Serial No. 385,051 for Tobacco Harvester, now Patent No. 2,672,248. Further, as is shown in Figure 6, the clips 10 may be secured to other types of chains 66 normal to the direction in which they are secured to the chains 60, as may be desired, utilizing enlarged pins 68 which pass through the cylindrical portion 56 of the bracket 54 while attaching adjacent links together.

It is to be noted that the guide plates 14 and 16 aid in holding the resilient endless belts 50 and 52 in position while the bifurcated end portions 30 and 32 do likewise. Further, because of the tendency of the resilient endless belts 50 and 52 to cause, by spring-like action, the abutment of the inner flights of the endless belts and the urging of the wheels 42 and 44 towards each other, the inner flights of the endless belts 50 and 52 will securely grasp in a resilient manner the tobacco leaves which are placed therebetween. Further, because of the; construction of this invention, it can be recognized that there is a minimum of binding of parts thereby permitt-ing this clip to be easily maintained even though subjected to the deleterious action of the saps and juices from tobacco leaves and the tendency of these juices and saps to gum structures.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A clip for holding tobacco leaves for use in combination with conveyor chains of tobacco harvesters comprising a base, a pair of arms pivotally attached to the ends of said base, a pair of rollers rotatably secured to said base inwardly of said arms, a pair of wheels rotatably carried by said arms and outwardly ofiset from said rollers, and a pair of resilient endless belts each entrained over one of said rollers and one of said wheels.

2. A clip for holding tobacco leaves for use in combination with conveyor chains'o'f tobacco harvesters comprising a base, a pair of arms pivotally attached to the ends of said base, said arms extending divergingly. from a ,said base, a pair'of 'rollers rotatably securedto'saidbase inwardly of said arms, a'pair of wheels 'rotatably carried by said arms, anda pair of resilientendlesshelts,teach of said belts being entrained over onebf'said rollers and one of said wheels, said Wheels being comparatively larger than said rollers.

3. A' clip for holdingtobacco leaves for use in combination with conveyor chains of tobacco harvesters comprising a base, said base including a pair of spaced guide plates, a pair of arms pivotally secured to the ends of said plates, said arms having bifurcated free portions, 21

, being entrained over one of said rollers and one of said -wheels.

4. A clip for holding tobacco leaves for use in combination with conveyor chains of tobacco harvesters comprising a base, said base including a pair of spaced guide plates, a pair of arms pivotally secured to the ends of said plates, said arms having bifurcated free portions, 2. pair of rollers rotatably mounted in said base between said guide plates, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted in said bifurcated free portions, said wheels being out- Wardly offset from said rollers and larger than said rollers, and a pair of resilient endless belts, each of said belts being entrained over one of said rollers and one of said wheels, and brackets attached to said base securing said clip to said conveyor chains.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,403,852 Ensele Jan. 17, 1922 1,911,781 Wolfe May 30, 1933 1,957,727 Perkinson May 8, 1934 2,152,965 Kersey Apr. 4, 1939 2,652,932 Funnell Sept. 22, 1953 

